The whole month of December, God was leading us all to go deeper in Him because this January 2019 will be a time of consecration and setting apart for God’s work in 2019. Then in February 2019, we will watch God fling wide the doors of opportunity for us as we have been prepared with a new and fresh anointing that was cultivated in our tears in December and our purification in January 2019.
On Dec. 25, Christmas morning, God woke me up with His overwhelming presence and a blanket of covering, and He said the word, “Righteousness”. I knew that the whole month of weeping and tears as in the valley of Baca (Ps. 84) had been Him setting me up to understand how this key was going to be important in 2019. He began to speak to me about putting on His righteousness and standing in this for the new year and encouraging others to do the same.
The Word tells us that our faith is credited as righteousness. Righteousness is right standing with God that we did not earn, it is a gift that comes from Him. We receive it at salvation, according to Romans 6:4-5, “ Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with Him in the likeness of His death, so shall we also be united with Him in the likeness of His resurrection.”
In our death, burial and resurrection in Christ, we are united with Him and His righteousness. This is a key we all have access to when we spiritually discern this truth and examine it from a spiritual perspective.
In Romans 4:2-5, the Word says:
If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Now to him who works, wages are not given as a gift, but as a debt. But to him who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.
This righteousness is a free gift we have been given by our own death, burial and resurrection in Christ Jesus and is a key to helping us walk in power in 2019. The apostle Paul knew about this righteousness and speaks to this truth in
Philippians 3:7-9 says,
But what things were gain to me, I have counted these things to be loss for the sake of Christ. Yes, certainly, I count everything as loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have forfeited the loss of all things and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ, and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is of God on the basis of faith.
This kind of righteousness is not based on doing what is right. It is based on being right because of what Christ did for us already. The apostle Paul tells us that what was important to Him was that he “be found in Him,” which is a Greek word heurisko, which means, to see as Christ sees or perceives as Christ perceives. This means that Paul wants to see through the eyes of Christ how Christ operated in righteousness and how he too can apply this truth. This is spiritually discerned truth; it is not something the natural world knows or even understands. The apostle Paul wants to see, as in union with Christ by faith, how his Lord and Savior Christ Jesus walked in righteousness on this earth.
The Apostle Paul says in Philippians 3:12 -14 that he has not:
… already attained or have already been perfected, but I follow after it so that I may lay hold of that for which I was seized by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not count myself to have attained, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
The gift of righteousness manifesting on earth through us is something we are to attain too. This gift is so powerful that Jesus mentioned it in Matthew 5:20. “ For I say to you that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will in no way enter the kingdom of heaven.”
This means our righteousness must exceed that of law-givers themselves. We must supersede the earthly manifestation of righteousness first with a spiritual manifestation. So, how can we do this? This powerful key of the kingdom of heaven is made available to us who believe by faith we have received it. As we walk in righteousness, we carry this supernatural kingdom key, as it opens pathways to follow God and help others beyond the mockery we all receive from the world. The world is always looking to condemn and judge behavior and the function of righteousness or right standing from the perspective of act only. However, the heavenlies view righteousness as a gift that, when worn by the recipient, will produce an effect of kingdom righteousness on earth through acts of righteousness.
In other words, Christ changes us to be righteous so we can do righteous acts. The earth looks only to the doing part and is quick to be used of the enemy to condemn Christians and attack those who are spiritual. Those who walk in the righteousness of Christ will walk in a royalty of heaven that will empower them to do the will of God and stand firm in face of the enemy schemes, all because by faith we wear His righteousness in our hearts.
The enemy is always there to supplant lies of the past or make our failures stand out to us or others. This causes us to strive to fix our issues only to find out that we have no power to sustain, because we don’t know His righteousness first. Righteousness is His power by faith.
How does Christ supply our need for this righteousness? The Word tells us He gives us the breastplate of righteousness, according to Ephesians 6:14, “Stand therefore, having your waist girded with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness.”
He also gives us the robe of righteousness, according to Isaiah 61:10:
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
We are also told when we learn to walk in His righteousness on earth and have acts of righteousness that flow from being righteous in Him, He gives us the crown of righteousness when we pass on to be with Him.
This is in 2 Timothy 4:8, “From now on a crown of righteousness is laid up for me, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
In summary, righteousness by faith is the heavenly key we all need for 2019. The enemy wants to keep you down, and you must fight with the breastplate of righteousness or the robe of righteousness that you did not earn, but was freely given to you by your death, burial and resurrection in Christ. Don’t delay, ask God to open your eyes to see supernaturally as Christ wants you to see, and perceive these truths that are spiritually discerned.
I believe God wants to open your eyes now to this truth. This kingdom key will sustain you throughout the year and bring you peace and power to attain to the goals He has personally given you for 2019. {eoa}
Dr. Candice Smithyman is the founder of Dream Mentors International, a biblical life counseling and coaching educational organization that teaches and trains educators and coaches in the specialty of life coaching. She is also founder of the Glory Road TV show, where she hosts weekly interviews that are seen on internet TV, Faith USA, Facebook and her YouTube channel. She is also the host of the Spirit Fuel TV show at spiritfuel.tv or spiritfuel.me. Her ministry website is available at candicesmithyman.com and dreammentors.org, where people can grow prophetically and receive biblical and transformational life coaching for every area of their life. She is also co-founder of Freedom Destiny Church in Orange Park, Florida.
Stephen Strang 
Charisma Media Staff 
Charisma Staff 
